The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has suspended eight players from the Olympic badminton doubles following an investigation into accusations of match throwing at London 2012.

Four women's pairs, one from China, two from South Korea and another from Indonesia, are the subject of disciplinary proceedings after a series of bizarre performances at Wembley Arena on Tuesday.

A statement from the BWF confirmed that all were charged with "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport".

The players were booed by an irate crowd as serves appeared to be deliberately hit into the net and shots hit wide and long in what was described as an embarrassing evening for the sport.

All four pairs had already qualified for the last eight meaning that only the final placings in the first-round group stage were at stake.

The apparent farce began when Chinese top seeds Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang seemed to show little interest in beating Koreans Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na to finish top of Group A.

Coming second would have meant avoiding compatriots and second seeds Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei at least until the final.

The Koreans responded to China's antics by appearing to copying them and referee Thorsten Berg emerged to warn all the players.

The match restarted and the Koreans went on to win 21-14 21-11. The longest rally in the first game had been just four strokes.

Next, a second Korean pair, third seeds Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung, apparently attempted to engineer defeat in their match against Indonesia's Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii, in order to avoid Wang and Yu in the quarter-finals, an outcome they failed to achieve as they eventually won 18-21 21-14 21-12.

The Indonesians too allegedly responded to the Koreans by trying to lose themselves.

Berg again intervened and brandished the black card to disqualify the players, although he rescinded the decision.

Korea's coach Sung Han-kook laid the blame with China, saying: "They did it first.

"It's a complicated thing with the draws. They didn't want to meet each other in the semi-final, they don't want that to happen.

"They (BWF) should do something about that."

Gail Emms, an Olympic silver medallist in 2004, was watching in the arena. She said: "It was a disgrace.

"We had four pairs on court trying to lose - very un-Olympic spirit.

"I'm furious. It is very embarrassing for our sport."

The players will not be allowed to continue in the doubles, however it is understood they have not been disqualified from the Olympics at large.